Responsibilities
by char-tomio
Summary: Because of the malfunctioning Ten-Year Bazooka and Yamamoto Tsuyoshi's speech, Reborn tasks the 15-year-old Rain Guardian to take care of a three-year-old Chrome.
1. Chapter 1

"Stay away from her, please." Yamamoto Takeshi smiled.

Three thugs were quite taken aback from a raven-haired teener in a Nami middle school uniform barging in their dark territory. They smirked as they ignored his friendly warning and inched closer to a terrified little girl in a pretty expensive dress. Yamamoto kept the smile on his face and patted the nearest man's shoulder. The man brushed him off rudely. "What the hell, kid?! Stay out!"

Yamamoto kept a calm smile on his face. "I'd rather not fight you, please. Just give me the little girl.."

The leader snickered and faced him. "Or what? Why are you interfering anyway, huh?!"

"Ah, you shouldn't shout in front of her, that's won't be-"

The thug grabbed Yamamoto in the collar and punched him. The little girl covered her eyes, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

The light-hearted smile on his face disappeared as he staggered upwards. His face had a serious, bone-gripping death stare. "That girl is my daughter!"

With that, the undesirable sound of a gang fight was heard in an alley near the Yamamoto residence.

An hour later, the ambulance came, picking up three, badly beaten up men, plus an unconscious middle-school student and a traumatized little girl.

* * *

_Flashback!_

All the Guardians were having dinner at Yamamoto's place for his 15th birthday.

Yamamoto had this little cake from his father, but accidentally, okay, maybe not accidentally, Lambo dived in the cake.

"Lambo!" everyone yelled, except for Chrome, Hibari, Tsuyoshi and the birthday boy himself.

Yamamoto just smiled and picked up the little boy in his arms, wiping off the icing smeared in his face. "Maa, Lambo, that's okay. But you shouldn't do that at other people's birthdays. You'll have to be more patient, alright?"

Lambo nodded. "You're not angry?"

Yamamoto shook his head. "But other people might if you do the same to them. Tell me Lambo, you wouldn't like it if anyone eats your cake before you even got to blow your birthday candles, right?"

The kid rolled his eyes. "Yeah, Lambo-san wouldn't like that!"

Tsuna and the others stared at Yamamoto giving his gentle lecture.

"I'm sure Lambo would learn something from Yamamoto." Tsuna smiled, "He sure knows how to discipline a kid."

Gokudera just looked away. "He's sounding like an old man, Judaime."

"That's extremely mature, Yamamoto!" Ryohei yelled.

Yamamoto just laughed. His father just nodded. "You're already becoming a man, Takeshi."

"Really now?" Yamamoto asked.

"I bet Yamamoto's father wouldn't mind to give a little speech." said Reborn.

Everyone seemed to agree and Tsuyoshi had no choice.

"Alright, Takeshi.." said Tsuyoshi, "I have nothing to say, since you're doing well, but if I may suggest, you should learn how to handle more responsibilities here at home. Responsibilities are part of a man's job growing up and are not just limited to cooking and cleaning up. I know you'll continue to learn more as you come to age and I have no doubt that you'll grow up to be a great man."

As everybody gave their applause, Tsuna felt very uneasy. "To think that Yamamoto-kun's going to be a hitman.." he thought.

"Saa, minna," Yamamoto cheerily called out, "Anybody want cake?"

Unfortunately, Lambo was the only one who wanted the deformed mash of confectionery, so they ended up giving the whole to the little kid.

After giving him their birthday wishes, everybody left and bade goodbye. Yamamoto went along with them.

"Oi, yakyu-baka, we thought you were going to be more responsible." said Gokudera, "I think you just left your dad back home to clean up after the party mess."

The smile on his face disappeared. "You're right, I might have-"

As he was about to turn around and leave, he tripped on Lambo both fell flat on their faces.

"That would extremely hurt!" exclaimed Ryohei.

"Why are you just saying that instead of helping him, Turf-top?!" Gokudera yelled.

"That extremely applies to you too, Octopus-head!" Ryohei yelled.

"Tsuna, your Guardians are fighting." said Reborn.

"Oniichan.. Gokudera-kun.." Tsuna sighed, attempting to calm them down.

Yamamoto wiped the small gash on his face and didn't notice Lambo crying because of the noise. He caught glimpse of the kid pulling out the Ten-Year Bazooka from his afro.

"Lambo, the Ten-Year Bazooka sustained some damage from yesterday, hasn't it? You might not return again." said Reborn.

Lambo didn't respond and Yamamoto tried to convince Lambo that there was no need for that. Probably not hearing Reborn, Lambo refused to let go and in a small tug-of-war, the Ten-Year bazooka was sent flying. It was headed straight for Gokudera but the latter managed to toss it by the rim which may remind you of volleyball. Yamamoto attempted to catch it but his attempts only made it fly farther.

"Chrome, catch it!" Yamamoto yelled.

The bluenette who was far in front looked up and had no time to react as the The Ten-Year Bazooka hit her. The said weapon exploded and pink smoke engulfed the vicinity.

"The Ten-Year Bazooka is broken, right?" Tsuna asked, "What kind of broken?"

"You'll never know." said Reborn.

Lambo hasn't stopped crying and Gokudera just yelled at him. Haru defended Lambo and started another daily argument with Gokudera.

"What happened to Chrome?" asked Kyoko.

Yamamoto didn't respond, but was staring face-to-face with a blue-haired little girl, who was similarly staring at her. Everybody went in front and stared at her, too.

"I thought it was going to be ten years in the future?" asked Gokudera.

"That must be it's defect." Reborn responded, "It made her ten years younger."

Chrome was probably three years old, wearing a lacy black and white dress with her long, blue hair untied.

The mini-Chrome shyly took some steps back, seeing all the people staring at her. Soon, she started to cry.

"Wha?" Tsuna gasped.

Yamamoto silently picked her up and carried her around. "Maa, maa, don't cry. You'll ruin your perfect little face, Hime-sama. You wouldn't want that, would you?"

Chrome stopped crying and stared at Yamamoto. "Daddy?"

"Huh?"

* * *

**Hime-sama - princess**


	2. Chapter 2

**Responsibilities, Chapter 2.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own KHR. And I bet some people hate me for my idiotic hobby of making more new fics before finishing my older ones.**

* * *

"Five minutes had passed, right?" Tsuna anxiously asked.

Reborn nodded. Yamamoto, still carrying little Chrome, flashed a very horrified face that clearly stated 'Why hasn't the normal Chrome popped up?!'.

Reborn turned to Yamamoto. "Alright, Yamamoto. This is a perfect time for you to learn to be responsible."

"What?"

"For the meantime, you take care of her." Reborn smirked.

"Seriously?!"

"That's right. After this, you're going to be a more responsible person. Besides, she seems to be most comfortable with you."

Everyone agreed, as Chrome had already fallen asleep in his arms. The look on Yamamoto's face was priceless. "How do I explain this to my dad..?"

"Tell him you're babysitting."

"This is too much..!" he thought.

Walking through the streets was a pain for him. His neighbors kept eyeing him suspiciously, and Yamamoto made a decision to yell 'I'm babysitting' whenever he passes by someone he knew. She woke up the time he entered their shop.

"I'm back.." Yamamoto muttered.

"Welcome home, Takeshi. I thought you were going to help me..uh..Takeshi.."

"I'm babysitting, Oyaji."

The little Chrome just crept closer to him shyly.

"Babysitting? At this hour?" Tsuyoshi muttered.

"Yeah." he put on a fake smile, "I have no idea what I'm doing."

Yamamoto took notice that Chrome was being a bit uneasy around his father, so he put her down and introduced her to the elder.

"Alright, Chrome, are you hungry?" Yamamoto asked.

The little girl flashed a questioning face. "..Chrome?"

The smile on his face disappeared. He decided against bluntly asking her 'You aren't Chrome?' since it wouldn't probably end well.

"Ahaha, so, Hime-sama, are you hungry?" Yamamoto asked.

"May I take a bath first?" the little Chrome asked.

"Sure. I'll heat you up some water while you stay here with Grandpa." he smiled. Tsuyoshi raised his eyebrows skeptically.

Takeshi was heating up some water when he suddenly thought of what would she wear. He surely didn't have anything a little midget would fit in. He suddenly panicked when he thought of everything she needed. He frantically rushed upstairs and reached out for his emergency savings.

"Takeshi, where'r you going?" Tsuyoshi asked.

"Oh, just there.." replied Takeshi in a sing-song manner, putting on his shoes.

"May I come, too?" the little Chrome asked.

Takeshi turned to look at her. "..Okay. Go get your shoes."

Chrome slipped on her black doll shoes and stood up. Takeshi noticed that they weren't strapped yet, so he bent low and strapped her shoes. Chrome smiled and held his hand before marching out.


	3. Chapter 3

**Responsibilities, Chapter 3.**

"Where are we going, daddy?"

Yamamoto cringed at the word 'daddy' but forced a smile. "I'm going to buy you some things."

"Really?" she smiled.

"Well, things you need, since I don't have too much money." Yamamoto shyly said, "You understand me, don't you?"

Chrome nodded. Yamamoto and the mini-Chrome walked to the shopping center and bought a small toothbrush and three pairs of underpants. It cost him more than half of his savings, but he didn't mind.

It was already 6:30 and Chrome was already yawning. "Daddy, can I ride on your shoulders?"

Yamamoto, though taken aback, agreed and let Chrome scramble up his shoulders clumsily. It was the first time he's ever let a kid ride his shoulders. Chrome was pretty much enjoying herself when Yamamoto caught the scent of some mochi.

"Saa, Chrome, do you want some mochi?"

"Chrome?"

"Ah, gomen, Hime-sama. Do you want some mochi? Sweet rice cakes."

"But mommy said that it's dirty." she frowned,

"Eh?" Yamamoto raised his eyebrows, "Nah, your mommy's not here, so let's enjoy ourselves for a while."

Yamamoto steered himself towards the vendor and bought two pieces of mochi. One for him and one for her.

"My, my, aren't you young to be a father." said the vendor, taking notice that the midget kept calling Yamamoto 'daddy'.

He was tempted to say that he was only babysitting, but for some unknown reason, couldn't bring himself to say it.

"Yeah, I'm just 15, pretty young, but it sure is enjoyable." Yamamoto smiled, "Especially when my daughter's this cute."

...

Chrome smiled as she bit into the mochi. "It's delicious."

"Really?" Yamamoto smiled, "Let's get you some tomorrow."

"Daddy, do we have some more?"

Yamamoto still hasn't ate his, but he couldn't resist little Chrome.

"Yep. You can have mine." he said, digging deep into the plastic bag and giving her his share.

The little bluenette smiled and bit the rice cake. Yamamoto didn't have the chance to taste his share, but the contented look on the little girl's face was more than enough for him. Even if he couldn't see since she was still atop of his shoulders.

"Here, daddy." Chrome said, placing the rice cake near his mouth.

Yamamoto bit off a large chunk. "You're right, it's delicious."

"Daddy, don't talk with your mouth full."

"Ahaha, yeah, you're right."

"Alright, Hime-sama, go take a bath. Careful not to slip." Yamamoto said, opening the bathroom door.

Chrome looked at Yamamoto with her eyebrows raised. "You aren't going to bathe me, Daddy?"

Yamamoto's face was tinted red. "Eh..? Can't you take a bath yourself?"

She shook her head.

Yamamoto sighed. "She's still a kid.. Besides, she might drown herself in the tub."


	4. Chapter 4

**Responsibilities, Chapter 4**

Little Chrome splashed around the tub, playing with the water.

"Ne, Hime-sama, I think it's time to get out there."

"Aw, five minutes more, Daddy." she pleaded.

"Alright." said Yamamoto, "One, two, three, four, five. Okay, get out of there."

"I thought five minutes is longer than that." said Chrome.

Yamamoto sighed. "Smart kid."

After taking a bath, Chrome slipped into some of Yamamoto's old clothes which smelled like the closet itself.

"Ne, Hime-sama, wait for me with Grandpa for a while." said Yamamoto.

"Why?"

"Dry your hair first."

Chrome nodded and gazed at Yamamoto as he went upstairs.

Yamamoto opened his room and sighed, seeing how messed up it really was. He remembered arguing with his father that his room wasn't all that messy. Sadly, his old man was right.

"What's taking Daddy so long?" asked Chrome.

Tsuyoshi shrugged his shoulders as he led her upstairs, in order to have a sneak peek. He was sure surprised to see his son clean his room for the first time.

"Men don't usually change after a few hours." he muttered, "I guess my speech made an impact."

"Daddy!" Chrome smiled, running into his room.

Though shocked, Takeshi patted the little girl's head. At least he had cleaned his room just in time. "So, Hime-sama, you ready to sleep?"

She nodded.

"Not quite." he said, "You'll have to brush your teeth first."

"That applies also to you, Takeshi." Tsuyoshi barged in.

Yamamoto flashed a disturbed face, seeing that his father had caught him in the extremely embarrassing act of cleaning his room.

* * *

"No, Chrome, you can't use mouthwash yet." said Yamamoto, snatching the bottle of mouthwash before she could get her hands on it.

"Daddy, why do you always call me 'Chrome'?" the midget asked.

"Eto.." Yamamoto scratched his head, "..I..I have a friend.. Her name is Chrome and she looks..exactly like you. When she was younger."

"Really?"

"Yup. And Chrome is really beautiful. I know you'll grow up to be as pretty as her."

The mini-Chrome smiled widely and kept brushing her teeth. Yamamoto did the same and stared into the bottle of mouthwash. He remembered the very painful sting of mouthwash on his first try as a five-year-old kid. The results will probably be worse for a three-year-old. And he was definitely not going to let that happen. Not to his little daughter.


	5. Chapter 5

**Responsibilities, Ch. 5**

The mini-Chrome yawned as Yamamoto tucked her safely in bed. The raven-haired man motioned to turn off the lights when Chrome jumped up and squealed.

"You don't want to turn off the lights?" asked Yamamoto.

Chrome shook her head.

"Why?"

"..I don't know this place.. There might be..ghosts." Chrome shuddered.

The swordsman didn't know what to respond. "..There aren't any ghosts here, as far as I remember."

"But, it's dark.."

Yamamoto sighed in defeat. "Do you want someone to watch over you?"

Chrome nodded.

"Alright then." said Yamamoto slightly blushing, rummaging his closet. After a minute, he finally caught sight of his favorite childhood toy- an extra small stuffed white tiger. (remember Xanxus' box weapon?)

Chrome held the little toy in her arms. "Daddy, will you sleep here?"

"Isn't the tiger enough?"

"She might be scared, too."

Yamamoto scratched his head. He had always thought that his tiger doll was male. "If I do that, will you let me turn off the lights?"

Chrome nodded.

For the sake of his electric bill, Yamamoto finally agreed as he laid a futon next to the bed, deciding to sleep there later. He turned off the lights and sat down near Chrome. The midget made herself comfortable, huddling very close to Yamamoto. "Daddy, will you tell me a story? Mommy never told me any and she always lets me sleep by myself."

"She did?"

Chrome nodded.

"Alright.." said Yamamoto, thinking up any good story, "Okay. The legend of the pineapple demon."

"Pineapple demon?" asked Chrome.

"Yup. He's as tall as me and he has blue hair, like yours. And he ties his hair in a style that when he's not facing you, you would easily mistake him as a pineapple." Yamamoto slightly chuckled, referring about a certain Guardian.

"Did he scare you, Daddy?"

"Well, at first.. Because his eyes are mismatched. One's red and the other's blue. And he laughs in a way that would really scare you off your socks. Something like 'Kufufufuu~'."

"He sounds scary, Daddy." she muttered nervously.

"Yup. He loves eating pineapples and his job is to watch over all of the pineapples in the world." Yamamoto narrated. He was trying his best to hold his laughter, weaving more tall tales about Mukuro, like how he would go around the world, sprouting wings made of pineapple fiber and deliver pineapples and punish little kids who didn't eat them. By laughing menacingly.

"I have a question, Daddy.."

"What?"

"What's a pineapple?"

Yamamoto smacked his face very hard that it made a loud slapping sound. Chrome didn't quite get his humor since she didn't know what he was talking about in the first place. After all, pineapples were rare in Japan.

"A pineapple is a fruit." Yamamoto narrated, "Round, thick-skinned fruit with leaves growing on top of it, like a crown. It's a bit sour, but sweet."

"I'd like to see one.."

"Yup. Tomorrow, I'll tie your hair like a pineapple. Like the pineapple demon."

Chrome laughed, but stifled a rather huge yawn.

"Ahaha, Hime-sama, you're getting sleepy. You should go to sleep."

"Tell me another story, Daddy."

"Aw, alright. Let's see.. I have a friend whose an octopus monster.."

Yamamoto kept telling Chrome exaggerated stories about the other Guardians which would probably make them angry, like describing Hibari as a carnivorous dinosaur with a pet bird who says 'Kamikorosu' all the time and telling Chrome that Ryohei was a human island with albino grass that always adds 'Extreme' to his sentence. Chrome would occasionally laugh until she gave in to her fatigue. Yamamoto was just about to sleep in the futon when he noticed that Chrome had latched herself on his arm. Any movement would probably wake her up. Yamamoto sighed and decided to just sleep next to her, just this night.

"Saa, goodnight, my little Hime-sama."


	6. Chapter 6

**Responsibilities, Ch. 6**

As expected, Chrome woke up along with Yamamoto early in the morning.

"You're going to work?" Chrome innocently asked.

Yamamoto nodded. After all, telling her that he would be going to school would trigger a string of questions from her. But before that, he didn't forget to feed and bathe her.

* * *

"So, Yamamoto, how's Chrome doing?" asked Tsuna.

"Eh.. It's okay." Yamamoto smiled.

"Did you even learn to be more responsible?" Gokudera scoffed.

The raven-haired guy scratched his head. "If waking up an hour earlier to bathe and feed her counts as responsible, I guess yeah. And I'll have to do her laundry first thing after I go home. For that, I'll miss baseball practice for now, until she turns back to normal."

"He's taking it too seriously.." Tsuna thought.

* * *

The moment Yamamoto entered the residence, the first thing he saw was his father trying hard to comfort the wailing bluenette.

"..W-what happened..?!" stuttered Yamamoto.

"It was the wasabe."

"Wasabe?!"

* * *

_Flashback!_

Chrome was sitting quietly in front of the counter, watching her 'grandfather' skillfully make some sushi. Tsuyoshi placed a cold plate of refrigerated green stuff in front of her and left the room, as one of the resident workers called for him.

"..Green tea ice cream..?"

* * *

"Why did you give her wasabe?!" Yamamoto cried out, carrying a wailing Chrome.

"I placed it in front of her.. I never told her to eat it!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Responsibilities, Ch. 7**

Yamamoto watched Chrome as she downed a glass of milk.

"Feel better?" he asked concernedly.

"The fire is gone." said Chrome, referring to the infernal spice of the horseradish paste.

"Good." Yamamoto sighed in relief, "Next time, you should wait until the host tells you to eat, okay?"

She nodded.

"Ready for a bath?"

Chrome happily nodded.

* * *

Though it was a bit overrated, Yamamoto did his homework while doing the laundry inside the bathroom.

"Daddy, why are you stepping on my clothes?"

"I'm washing them. I know, weird right?"

"Won't they get dirty?"

"Nope. My feet are perfectly clean. Besides, I put soap here."

Chrome wowed at Yamamoto's traditional way of doing the laundry. "Can I help, daddy?"

Yamamoto shook his head. "Not now. On Saturday, we'll do the laundry together. There'll be more clothes to step on."

Chrome's eyes twinkled. "Okay!"

Turning to his notebook, he frowned, thinking if she would still be his three-year-old daughter until Saturday.

* * *

Chrome stared with anticipation at the mirror. As a promise, Yamamoto would tie her hair into a pineapple. It was definitely his first time to tie anyone's hair and he wasn't really good at it. After half an hour, he finally tied the pineapple with a ribbon, since he didn't have any hair accessories. It didn't really look very good, but at least the crown was recognizable.

"So, Hime-sama, can you see the pineapple?"

Chrome smiled. "I like it, Daddy. Can you tie my hair tomorrow, too?"

"Of course. But I can only tie your hair like a pineapple and nothing else."

"That's okay, Daddy. I like it."

* * *

**If I had a dad, I would probably write this better! I wish Yamamoto-san was my dad.. -.-**


	8. Chapter 8

**Responsibilities, Ch. 8**

Two days passed and Saturday finally came. Though Yamamoto would usually dread doing the laundry, Chrome made it a tad more bearable, enjoyable even.

Though there was too much splashing of water.

Which spawned more duties.

After all the chores, Yamamoto led Chrome to their wide backyard for some playtime.

"Do you know how to play catch?" Yamamoto asked Chrome. The bluenette shook her head innocently. Yamamoto simply smiled and gave her a baseball glove.

"Alright, Hime-sama. I'll throw this ball and you catch it. Easy as pie."

Chrome nodded as Yamamoto paced two meters back and prepared to pitch.

If you think Yamamoto's going to activate Hyper Mode, think again. The incident with Lambo was enough.

Chrome jumped up and caught the ball, but lost her balance and fell down. Yamamoto immediately ran to her and Chrome proudly showed the ball. Yamamoto smiled widely and ruffled her pineapple-tied hair.

"Alright, I'm going to throw it a little further." he called, pacing back a few steps, "Make sure you catch it, 'kay?"

Chrome nodded and eyed the ball with determination. As it went flying, she immediately jumped into action and caught it again. Their little game went on and on until Yamamoto was at the edge and Chrome was at the other side. Their distance was more than a half-mile apart.

With a professional's precision, Yamamoto calculated the distance and suddenly, his control went out of whack.

Even if he's grown a bit mature, he's still Yamamoto Takeshi.

Fortunately, the ball didn't hit his most precious daughter or else, this story will have to end as Yamamoto would have jumped off a bridge.

"You okay?" he nervously asked, rushing into her.

She nodded weakly. Her face lost it's color. Yamamoto sighed and carried her inside. "That's enough catch for one day."

* * *

Since they had nothing to do, Chrome and Yamamoto went strolling for a while in the Shopping Center.

"This, Hime-sama, is a pineapple." Yamamoto said, pointing to a pretty unfriendly looking fruit. (why unfriendly? look at all the eyes and that terribly sharp crown of leaves.)

Chrome wowed at the sight of the fruit until she heard a menacing 'Kufufufu' behind her. You could just imagine how she reacted.

"Mukuro. What are you doing here?" Yamamoto asked.

"I was just taking the sights. The Arcobaleno Reborn told me something that.."

Mukuro stopped talking, noticing a small, shivering girl clutching onto the swordsman.

"So it is true." the bluenette muttered, bending down to the little girl's level, "Come here, Nagi.."

"Nagi?" Yamamoto muttered, "So that's why she doesn't respond to 'Chrome'. Her name is Nagi.."

Getting more and more terrorized as Mukuro crept nearer, Nagi shut her eyes and yelled something that would cause Mukuro's eternal murderous pursuit for Yamamoto.

"Daddy, it's the pineapple demon!"


	9. Chapter 9

**Responsibilities, Ch. 9**

"Daddy, are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm alright, Hime.." Yamamoto panted.

"Why did the pineapple demon chase us?" asked Chrome.

"Because he knows that I don't eat pineapples.."

"Okay. Why does he know my name?"

"He knows everyone's names.. Even if you don't eat pineapples.."

Yamamoto looked for any signs of the mad pineapple from a corner. He and Chrome crept out stealthily in high hopes of not running into him.

"Yamamoto-kun?"

For a moment, the swordsman felt his soul jump out for three seconds.

"You're extremely soaked in sweat, Yamamoto! Were you jogging?"

It was Sasagawa Kyoko and Ryohei, who had just finished shopping.

"No, I..We were just strolling.." Yamamoto explained.

"Oi, yakyu-baka, what're you doing here?" Gokudera called out.

"My Daddy isn't a baka!" Chrome yelled.

"Aw, how cute.." Kyoko squealed, picking up the little Chrome. She shyly averted her eyes away, but Kyoko was too nice that Nagi just ended up accepting the gesture.

"You're right, Octopus-head, you shouldn't say that in front of the little girl." Ryohei scolded.

"Keh, I don't take lectures from you, Turf-top!"

"Maa, maa, please don't fight in front of-"

"Oh." Chrome muttered, looking at Gokudera, "You must be the octopus monster Daddy told me about."

Gokudera's jaw dropped while Ryohei laughed at him.

Turning to Ryohei, she continued, "And you must be the human island where albino grass grows."

"Wha-?!" Ryohei exclaimed. Gokudera had his fair share of laughs afterwards. Yamamoto tiptoed silently away, but Ryohei and Gokudera gripped his shoulders in a menacing way.

"You've been extremely making fun of us behind our backs, haven't you..?"

"Trying to make us look ridiculous in front of the kid..?"

"Ja, ne~!" Yamamoto smiled, sprinting away like a woman running away from a rapist.

"Wait, Daddy, where'r you going?!"

"We're going to borrow your Daddy for a while, okay?" Gokudera called out, disappearing.

Chrome had no time to react and Kyoko told her that she would take her for a stroll.

Yamamoto ran for his life with two adrenaline-pumped menaces hot on his trail. From his speed, he could hardly tell how many miles he had covered.

"Kufufu, I knew you were just here.."

"Oh, no.."

Cornered by three men who similarly bear a grudge against him (with Mukuro probably the angriest), Yamamoto had no chance of escaping. He thanked God when he heard a familiar, cold voice that offered temporary intervention.

"If you herbivores want to fight, do it outside, unless you want to count me in."

"Oh, if it isn't Hibari.." Mukuro chuckled.

"I can't believe I made it all the way to NamiMiddle.." Yamamoto muttered.

"Daddy!"

Yamamoto paled at the sound of Chrome's voice, which could easily spell trouble. Hibari glared at the petrified swordsman. "A second year middle school student with a child?"

"He definitely didn't hear of what happened." Yamamoto thought.

Hibari approached Yamamoto menacingly. "People outside the school better have not heard of this.. If I hear any bad rumors outside the school, I will personally bite you to death-"

"Daddy, you told me he was a dinosaur." Chrome cut in.

Hibari glared at the miniature Chrome.

"You know.. The one that said 'Rawr, Kamikorosu..' wherever he goes." Chrome added, making some staggering T-Rex movements. Yes, it was cute. But not for Yamamoto and Hibari. Mostly Hibari.

Yamamoto couldn't even bear look at Chrome as he facepalmed, indicating his imminent death. "Kyoko, will you please take her back to my place?"

The girl hiding behind the curb nodded and took Chrome into custody. "Bye, Daddy. Go home early.

Yamamoto weakly nodded. As soon as the two disappeared, the four impatient beasts approached him, desperately wanting to shed some blood.

"Pineapple demon..?"

"Octopus monster..?"

"Albino grass..?"

"I have no objections with the dinosaur, but the way your daughter played it made me want to bite you to death."

"Rawr, Kamikorosu~" Hibird chimed in.

* * *

"Takeshi, what happened to you?!" Tsuyoshi blurted out, seeing a creeping blob of, er, his son staggering with hardly recognizable appendages and a lingering pained expression on his face.

"I was just, y'know.." Yamamoto smiled, "Out there..being responsible."

* * *

**Congratulations, Yamamoto, for that awesome answer. Your daughter will be proud of you.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Responsibilities, Ch. 10**

"Daddy, will you tell me a story?"

Yamamoto cringed, feeling his numb appendages. He had pleaded them not to hit him in the face, since he didn't want Nagi to ask about it.

"Okay.." he slightly laughed, "One day.. The pineapple demon.. Octopus monster.. Human island.. And man-eating dinosaur.. Beat up a storyteller."

"What happened to the storyteller, Daddy?"

"They all lived happily ever after."

"Huh? I don't get it.."

Yamamoto smiled, carrying the midget. "I don't get it, either, but everyone lived happily ever after. Especially the storyteller, who continued telling stories to his daughter."

"The storyteller, huh?"

"Yup. Do you want to learn more about the storyteller and his daughter?"

Chrome nodded.

"Okay.. One day.." Yamamoto narrated, "The storyteller was just..an ordinary guy, who had just turned 15-years-old. His friends came over to his house for a party. Before that, he was just..well..normal. And he didn't like responsibilities. He didn't do lots of things that he needed to do. But on his birthday, his father told him that he should be more responsible. It didn't affect him too much, but after the party, a talking baby-"

"Talking baby?" Chrome asked.

"Yup. He's a little baby, but he can talk, walk and everything. He was even more mature than the storyteller."

"Okay.."

"Back to the story, a talking baby gave him a birthday present, wrapped in a beautiful box and wrapper. When he opened it.. He saw.. Guess what." Yamamoto snickered.

"A pet dog?"

"Nope."

Chrome started to think. "Hm.. A teddy bear?"

"Nope."

"A puppet theater?"

"Nope. He saw.." Yamamoto continued, trying to interest the little girl, "..He saw a three year old girl."

"Huh?"

"It was a big box. Imagine."

"This big?" Chrome asked, stretching her hands.

"Yup." Yamamoto smiled, hugging her, "He adopted the girl to learn to be more responsible. And there. In a few hours, he just became..a better person. Became more patient, more caring, more responsible.. He even became a storyteller afterwards, since his daughter always wanted to hear out some stories before going to bed."

"Like me?"

"Exactly."

"What happened next, Daddy?" Chrome asked with anticipation.

"I don't remember." he laughed, "I say we go to sleep now."

"One more question, Daddy."

"Okay, let's hear it."

"What's responsible?"

Yamamoto laughed. "I knew you'd say that. Being responsible is acting like a grown up. Means doing all the chores at home and keeping the house up and running."

Chrome nodded and embraced him. "Okay. Goodnight, Daddy."

"Goodnight, Nagi."

As she closed her eyes, Yamamoto gazed at the little girl. "Is this what being a father feels like..?"

Laying his eyes on the midget, he could barely remember Chrome. He could only see Nagi. A little girl who called him 'Daddy' without any doubt.

"Being responsible also means taking a little one under your wing." Yamamoto muttered, leaning in and giving the little girl a kiss on the forehead before going to sleep himself.


	11. Chapter 11

**Responsibilities, Ch. 11**

"Woh, Bozu*, what'd you call me for?" smiled Yamamoto, walking hand in hand with his self-proclaimed daughter.

Chrome crept closer to Yamamoto. "Is that the talking baby?"

Yamamoto nodded.

"Yamamoto, why not let her play outside with Lambo and I-Pin?" Reborn suggested.

The swordsman agreed, sensing a pretty serious discussion. Chrome hesitantly agreed to go outside and was terrified at the two five-year-olds. With a little help from her father, she managed to calm down.

"What do you wanna talk about?" Yamamoto casually asked.

"About Chrome. I hope you two aren't getting too attached to each other."

Yamamoto felt an inexplicable feeling in his gut. Somewhat like a very sharp pain. "Ahaha, don't worry. I'm ready to let go of her anytime."

Lies.

"And another thing." Reborn continued, "The real Chrome won't be able to come back."

"What?!" gasped Yamamoto, though feeling oddly relieved.

"She won't be able to automatically come back, unless we use the Ten-Year Bazooka again."

"Is it safe to use it again?"

Reborn nodded. "Giannini gave it a quick fix."

"Okay.." Yamamoto muttered.

"The only problem is about the kid. Make sure you haven't done anything that will drastically affect the present Chrome's nature." said Reborn.

"I haven't.." Yamamoto laughed, "But what if she refuses to let go?"

"We'll need your help on that." said Reborn.

"Alright then, when a-"

Their discussion was interrupted by a sharp wailing sound in the corridor. Yamamoto slid the door open and saw Chrome crying with a large gash on her forehead. Lambo and I-Pin were blaming each other for the accident. Yamamoto sighed and scooped up Chrome in his arms, comforting her.

"Tomorrow." said Reborn straightforwardly. Yamamoto's face lost it's vivacity as he nodded gravely and left.

* * *

The two were walking along the vast streets of the Namimori Shopping District, hand in hand. Yamamoto could hardly accept that he was going to let go of his little daughter, whom he had come to love so much. He should've known that he had to let go of her sooner or later.

"Nagi, want some mochi?" Yamamoto asked.

The little bluenette smiled and nodded. Yamamoto thought of how much mochi had become a necessity for Chrome. He would walk from school all the way to the Shopping Center and back home just to see that look on her face. That particular overjoyed look which he could hardly see from the present Chrome. He had daydreamed about picking her up every afternoon from school when she starts kindergarten and protecting her from potential suitors (even if it happens to be a fellow Guardian). He was even troubled, thinking of what to answer when Nagi asks him 'where do babies come from?'. But now, all of those were irrelevant. He was going to be a normal 15-year-old again.

Nagi had changed him so much. And he had shown Nagi a side of himself that he could never show to anyone.

"Nagi, can you ride on my shoulders?" Yamamoto smiled.

Nagi flashed a troubled look on her face. "Okay, but, Daddy, you're acting strange."

Yamamoto chuckled. "Nothing. Just figured that you must be getting tired by now."

The little bluenette scrambled up his shoulders and made herself comfortable. "One day, I'm going to be as tall as Daddy."

"You should dream higher, Nagi." Yamamoto chuckled, "Why not dream of becoming taller than me?"

"Then I would hit my head everywhere." Nagi frowned.

"I wouldn't think so." Yamamoto smiled, "When you grow up, you'll look as beautiful as my friend Chrome Dokuro. And you'll become a nice and happy person because my Nagi looks so wonderful when she smiles."

"Just like you, Daddy." said Nagi, still eating some mochi, "If Daddy doesn't smile, that means something's wrong."

"That's 'cause my Nagi makes me happy. I'll never lose this smile as long as you're here with me." the swordsman narrated.

Nagi chuckled. "I love you, Daddy."

Yamamoto's smile was replaced by a very shocked expression. It felt absurd that he was blushing from a three-year-old's words. Deep within, he was overjoyed beyond comprehension.

It's been a long time ever since he heard those words.

"I love you too, Nagi." he muttered, "Very, very much."

"Nu-uh. I love you more!" Nagi laughed.

"Really? Well then, will you give me some mochi?"

Nagi automatically placed the moist rice cake near his mouth. Yamamoto smiled and bit off half of it. "Thanks, Nagi."

The midget gave him a wide and sweet smile as they went home.


	12. Chapter 12

**Responsibilities, Ch. 12**

Yamamoto waved a silver, miniature machine in front of the little girl. "Do you know what this is, Nagi?"

Nagi shook her head.

"This is a camera." said Yamamoto, "Takes pictures."

"That's a camera?" Nagi gasped in disbelief, "We have a camera, but it doesn't look like that."

Yamamoto chuckled, thinking about the old camera that runs on film. "Yup. This camera is pretty new. Let's take some pictures."

Nagi nodded and crawled over Yamamoto's lap.

"Saa, one, two, three!"

* * *

Nagi's eyes widened as Yamamoto proceeded to tell the climax of the story.

"..And they..took away the storyteller's daughter by force."

"..I don't get it."

Yamamoto weakly smiled. "I don't get it, either. But.. If that were to happen to me.."

Nagi embraced Yamamoto tightly. "No.. I don't want that to happen."

Yamamoto brushed her hair lightly with his fingers. "Me neither. It would hurt me no end if we were separated."

Small beads of tears formed in her eyes. "Daddy, you won't leave me, right?"

The swordsman weakly nodded. Lying to a little girl was so painfully hard, especially to her.

Forcing a smile, he ruffled her hair. "Don't worry. I love my Nagi and I won't leave her."

"I love you too, Daddy."

"Saa, we should go to sleep. I have work tomorrow, right?"

The little girl nodded. Yamamoto pressed his lips against her forehead. "Goodnight, Hime-sama."

"Goodnight."

Nagi curled up against his stomach as Yamamoto gently stroked her hair. This was going to be their last night together.

"Before the storyteller's daughter was taken away.." Yamamoto continued, attempting to cheer up the little midget. Chrome tiredly half-opened her eyes.

"The storyteller told her one more thing.."

"..What?"

Yamamoto cleared his throat. "We'll meet again, so wait for me. And when we do.. I'll never let you go. Ever."

Chrome smiled with relief etched on her gentle face. "That's nice.. Did they meet again?"

"Yup. Everyone deserves a happy ending, after all."


	13. Chapter 13

**Responsibilities, Ch. 13**

"I don't get it, Reborn." said Tsuna, "Why should all the Guardians be here?"

"That's a dumb question, especially coming from the boss." Reborn responded.

"Hiee?!"

All seven Guardians were gathered in the school's outer court at lunch time. They were about to retrieve the present Chrome using the Ten-Year Bazooka. Yamamoto told Chrome to move forward as he blindfolded her.

"Daddy, are we playing a game?" asked Chrome.

"Yeah. That's why everyone's here."

Chrome nodded as Tsuna proceeded to use the Ten Year Bazooka.

"Sawada! Gokudera! Yamamoto! What are you doing with that kid?!" a teacher yelled, seeing Tsuna holding a bazooka near a blindfolded three-year-old.

A lot of things happened at once. Tsuna stumbled and gasped a 'Hieeee', Gokudera scowled at the teacher while Lambo screamed, calling the teacher 'four eyes'. Hibari glared at the teacher, probably reassuring him. Yamamoto started to panic as Chrome removed the blindfold.

As expected, seeing the Bazooka made Chrome rush to Yamamoto, crying out in fright.

"Yamamoto.. You have a child..?" asked the teacher.

The swordsman was put into an instant dilemma. He couldn't just deny it in front of Nagi, who had admired him so much as a father, but the real problem would be the teacher's reaction.

"Sir." Hibari calmly responded, "We'll talk about that later. Your shift in Class 3-C had already started."

The teacher looked at his wristwatch and nodded. "Alright, Yamamoto, we'll talk about that later!"

The calm Rain Guardian nodded as the teacher left.

"Woah, Hibari, you even have the schedule of everyone's shifts..?!" Ryohei exclaimed.

Hibari didn't respond anymore and silently left for patrol. "Lunch is over. Go back to your classes."

"We will." said Reborn, "Now, Yamamoto, you should do what needs to be done."

Yamamoto frowned and blindfolded her. Nagi resisted albeit Yamamoto's efforts to assure her.

"Doesn't she want to return to her parents?" asked Ryohei.

Silence. The atmosphere suddenly became heavier.

"Did I say something wrong?" Ryohei asked again.

"You idiot!" Gokudera yelled, "Why did you tell her that she's going back to her parents?!"

"What?! You said the same thing yoursel-"

Gokudera and Ryohei's argument were cut off by a silent sobbing.

"..Daddy, you're returning me to my parents..?" Nagi muttered, tears freely flowing.

The sight of Nagi crying made Yamamoto lose his voice. "..I..N-no, I.."

"Your mother wants you back, Nagi." said Reborn, "You should go back."

"But I want to stay with Daddy.."

Yamamoto patted her head. "Don't worry, we'll meet again-"

"No!" cried Nagi, "Mommy won't let me see you again!"

The forced smile on Yamamoto's face vanished. "Don't worry, I'll find a way.."

"You can't! Mommy's going to bring me along to a far place, and I can't see you anymore, ever." Nagi wailed, wiping her tears and running away.

Yamamoto stood up and looked at everyone.

"Go after her." said Reborn, "Who knows what'll happen to her."

The swordsman nodded and ran along.


	14. Chapter 14

**Responsibilities, Ch. 14**

Yamamoto stopped to catch his breath, tired after running up and down the stairs, rummaging all the classrooms of Nami Middle. It was a miracle that Hibari hasn't decided to beat him up after disturbing ongoing lessons in 15 different classrooms.

He shortly prayed for Nagi's safety as he decided to look outside the school.

Yamamoto kept avoiding the looks people gave him, thinking that he cut class. He had run all the way to the Shopping District, even to Kokuyo Land, asking people all the way. He ran back to Tsuna's home, the Sasagawa residence and finally, back home.

"You lost her?" Tsuyoshi gasped.

"I guess so. You haven't seen her around, have you..?" Yamamoto panted.

Tsuyoshi shook his head. "Go on and search again. I can't help you yet."

Yamamoto frowned, downing a large glass of water.

Meanwhile, the little girl was near fainting from the heat. She had finally made her way to the sushi restaurant. Seeing Yamamoto burst out of the restaurant, she immediately hid in the nearest alley.

"Hm? What's a little girl doing here?"

Nagi gasped, seeing three unruly men who didn't look very nice.

The shortest of the men caught her by the hair and showed her to his comrades. "Looks like she came from a rich family, don't you think?"

"..Let me go..!" Nagi shrieked.

Her words had no effect on her assailants. "It'd be better if you keep screaming. Your parents will sure come running."

"No! Only my Daddy cares about me!"

Though confused from the bluenette's words, the eldest came face to face with her. "That's alright. We'll give you to your Daddy in exchange for some money."

"My Daddy doesn't really have a lot of money.."

"Probably not true. I say you scream for help and-"

The man was cut off his words when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Stay away from her."


	15. Chapter 15

**Responsibilities, Ch. 15**

"..Daddy? Daddy!"

Yamamoto Takeshi weakly opened his eyes and saw himself confined in the white walls of a hospital. He remembered everything- how he lost Nagi, fighting some gang members and ultimately getting hit by a lead pipe at the back of his head. It wasn't just Nagi who was there. All the Guardians plus Reborn were gathered around him, relief etched in their faces.

"Baka! What in the world happened?!" Gokudera yelled.

"Ahaha, sorry if I made you guys worried." Yamamoto smiled apologetically.

"You should apologize to her the most." Reborn said, pointing Nagi out, "She was the one who saw everything."

Looking at the little girl clinging onto him, he smiled warmly and patted her head. "..Gomen ne, Hime-sama. Don't worry, I'm alright now. Thank goodness those guys didn't hurt you."

Nagi could only nod as she tightened her grip around him.

"Nagi, give your father a little rest." Reborn interrupted, "You should come with them for a while."

"Ah? But I'm alright-"

Reborn gave Yamamoto a stern look and he had no choice but to coerce his little daughter to obey orders.

Nagi turned her head and saw Tsuna and Kyoko outside the room, waving at her. She hesitantly approached them.

"Bye, Daddy. Get well soon." Nagi waved.

Yamamoto smiled and waved back at her as she was whisked away.

"She's going to have her memory erased." Reborn continued.

"..What?!"

"We figured out that she can't be forced to leave, so we had to erase all her memories about you first. And your role as a surrogate father had a lot of impact on her, which could probably alter the present Chrome's personality."

Yamamoto nodded weakly.

"She needs to go back where she belongs."

"Yeah, I know."

* * *

As Tsuna prepared to launch her into the Ten-Year Bazooka, Yamamoto gave one last hug to a very shy Nagi, who didn't know who he was anymore.

"..We'll meet again, so wait for me." he muttered, "And when we do, I'll never let you go. Ever."

Nagi nodded, even though she didn't get the whole idea. Yamamoto tried hard not to cry in disappointment, not hearing his little daughter's usual response.

A pink smokescreen engulfed the whole place as soon as the time travel process commenced. The artificial fog cleared out and revealed the present Chrome, who was clad in a lacy dress.

"She probably had to wear those from where she went." Reborn said, referring to the past. Chrome blinked a few times, staring at Yamamoto.

"..Ano, saa, welcome back, Chrome." Yamamoto smiled weakly.

"Daddy?"

"Huh?!"

Everyone's jaws dropped as Chrome yelled and threw herself in Yamamoto's arms, acting like Yamamoto's three-year-old daughter. The swordsman could've been happy if it weren't for the fact that his daughter's body was in the stage of developing and as old as he was.

"I can never expect anything more from Giannini." Reborn sighed.

* * *

**Remember Episode 29? Lambo hits the Ten-Year Bazooka everywhere in a tantrum until it has cracks and the 15-year-old Lambo turns up with the same costume and brains as the 5-year-old Lambo.**

**Case above is the same. XD I hope you enjoy this..fic.**


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